The effects of a synthetic curcuminoid analogue, 2,6-bis-(4-hydroxyl-3-methoxybenzylidine)cyclohexanone on proinflammatory signaling pathways and CLP-induced lethal sepsis in mice.

We previously showed that 2,6-bis-(4-hydroxyl-3-methoxybenzylidine)cyclohexanone (BHMC), suppressed the synthesis of various proinflammatory mediators. In this study we explain the mechanism of action of BHMC in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced U937 monocytes and further show that BHMC prevents lethality of CLP-induced sepsis. BHMC showed dose-dependent inhibitory effects on p38, JNK and ERK 1/2 activity as determined by inhibition of phosphorylation of downstream transcription factors ATF-2, c-Jun and Elk-1 respectively.

Bone mineral density in prediabetic men.

Background: There are many studies regarding the effects of insulin on bone metabolism and changes in bone mineral density (BMD) in the setting of diabetes. The effect of prediabetes on BMD is not known.

Methods: A total of 802 men participated in the Korea Rural Genomic Cohort Study (in Geumsan County).

A matched-case comparison to explore the role of consolidation chemotherapy after concurrent chemoradiation in cervical cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and toxicity of consolidation chemotherapy after concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) and CCRT alone in patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma.

Methods And Materials: Using medical records from January 2001 to December 2007, 39 patients treated with consolidation chemotherapy after CCRT (Group 1) were matched to 39 patients treated with CCRT alone (Group 2). Consolidation chemotherapy consisted of three additional cycles of chemotherapy with cisplatin 60 mg/m2 (Day 1) and 5-fluorouracil 1,000 mg/m2 per day (Days 1-5) given every 3 weeks.

Melatonin synergistically increases resveratrol-induced heme oxygenase-1 expression through the inhibition of ubiquitin-dependent proteasome pathway: a possible role in neuroprotection.

Melatonin is an indoleamine secreted by the pineal gland as well as a plant-derived product, and resveratrol (RSV) is a naturally occurring polyphenol synthesized by a variety of plant species; both molecules act as a neuroprotector and antioxidant. Recent studies have demonstrated that RSV reduced the incidence of Alzheimer's disease and stroke, while melatonin supplementation was found to reduce the progression of the cognitive impairment in AD. The heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an inducible and redox-regulated enzyme that provides tissue-specific antioxidant effects.

Single-port access (SPA) laparoscopic surgery in gynecology: a surgeon's experience with an initial 200 cases.

Objective: To report our initial two hundred single-port access (SPA) gynecologic surgeries and present the perioperative outcomes.

Study Design: This is a prospective single-center study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Two hundred selected patients with gynecological disease were recruited for the study from May 2008 through December 2009 at Samsung Medical Center.

Stimulation of osteoblastic differentiation and mineralization in MC3T3-E1 cells by antler and fermented antler using Cordyceps militaris.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: For thousands of years antlers have been used in Asian countries to promote rapid healing, treat weight loss, slow growth in children, strengthen weak bones, and alleviate cold hands and feet.

Aim Of The Study: The present study was performed to examine the effect of fermentation on the ability of antler to act as a stimulator of bone growth.

Materials And Methods: This study used pre-osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells to examine factors related to bone growth, such as cell proliferation, production of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and deposition of extracellular matrix proteins (e.

Effects of 3-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)-1-(5-methyl-furan-2-y-l) propenone (HMP) upon signalling pathways of lipopolysaccharide-induced iNOS synthesis in RAW 264.7 cells.

We previously showed that 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1-(5-methyl-furan-2-y-l)propenone (HMP), suppressed the synthesis of various proinflammatory mediators. In this study, HMP showed a dose-dependent inhibition of NO synthesis in the RAW 264.7 murine macrophage line.

Peritoneal tuberculosis: a retrospective review of 20 cases and comparison with primary peritoneal carcinoma.

Introduction: To evaluate the clinical features of peritoneal tuberculosis (TB) and to compare them with those of primary peritoneal carcinoma (PPC).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of women with peritoneal TB who were managed at Samsung Medical Center from January 1996 to October 2006. As a control sample, patients with a diagnosis of PPC during the same period were also selected for comparison.

Multiple mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue organs involving marginal zone B cell lymphoma: organ-specific relationships and the prognostic factors. Consortium for improving survival of lymphoma study.

According to a previous review, multiple mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)-organs involving marginal zone B cell lymphomas (MZLs) are present in 10-30% of patients. However, the clinical features and specific relationships among involved organs are yet to be clearly identified. In this study, we conducted retrospective analyses of multiple MALT organs involving MZLs (MM-MZLs) to identify their clinical features, treatment, prognosis, and specific relationships among involved organs.

Stage IV marginal zone B-cell lymphoma--prognostic factors and the role of rituximab: Consortium for Improving Survival of Lymphoma (CISL) study.

Stage IV marginal zone B-cell lymphomas (MZL) are detected in more than 25% of lymphoma patients. In this study, we conducted retrospective analyses of specific cases of stage IV MZL in order to assess their clinical features, as well as the treatments and prognoses of these cases. A total of 94 patients with histological diagnosis of stage IV-MZL from 17 different institutions in Korea were included.

Genetic analyses of the chimeric CYP11B1/CYP11B2 gene in a Korean family with glucocorticoid-remediable aldosteronism.

Glucocorticoid-remediable aldosteronism (GRA) is an autosomal-dominant inheritable form of hyperaldosteronism with early onset hypertension. GRA is caused by unequal crossing-over of the steroid 11 beta-hydroxylase (CYP11B1) and aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) genes. As a result of chimeric gene duplication, aldosterone is ectopically synthesized in the adrenal zona fasciculata under the control of adrenocorticotropin.

Current status and applications of somatic cell nuclear transfer in dogs.

Although somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technology and applications are well developed in most domesticated and laboratory animals, their use in dogs has advanced only slowly. Many technical difficulties had to be overcome before preliminary experiments could be conducted. First, due to the very low efficiency of dog oocyte maturation in vitro, in vivo matured oocytes were generally used.

Growth and hematologic characteristics of cloned dogs derived from adult somatic cell nuclear transfer.

Three viable female dogs, which have the same genotype, have been successfully produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT); however, data on the growth pattern of cloned dogs are lacking. Thus, the aim of this study was (1) to assess growth parameters among those cloned dogs with measurement of body weight, height, and radiographic analysis of skull size and bone plate, and (2) to compare hematologic characteristics among the donor dog, cloned dogs, and age-matched control dogs. The cloned dogs were kept in the same environmental conditions.

Development and validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of goserelin in rabbit plasma.

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry method (LC-ESI-MS/MS) was developed and validated for the determination of goserelin in rabbit plasma. Various parameters affecting plasma sample preparation, LC separation, and MS/MS detection were investigated, and optimized conditions were identified. Acidified plasma samples were applied to Oasis((R)) HLB solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges.

New noncentrosymmetric tellurite phosphate material: synthesis, characterization, and calculations of Te2O(PO4)2.

A new noncentrosymmetric polar ternary tellurium(IV) oxide phosphate, Te(2)O(PO(4))(2), has been synthesized by a standard solid-state reaction, and the structure was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The material shows a three-dimensional framework structure that is composed of slightly distorted TeO(5) square pyramids and PO(4) tetrahedra. Within the framework three-, four-, and seven-membered ring channels are observed along the [100] direction.

Sequence-dependent hematologic side effects of topotecan and cisplatin in persistent or recurrent cervical cancer.

Objective: This retrospective study evaluates the efficacy and toxicity of topotecan, followed by cisplatin, in patients with persistent or recurrent cervical cancer.

Methods: Twenty-four patients were included in the study. Ninety-two cycles of chemotherapy were administered during the study period.

Low dynamin 2 expression is associated with tumor invasion and metastasis in invasive squamous cell carcinoma of cervix.

Dynamin 2 is known as a protein involved in cell migration and endocytosis. We aimed to investigate the association between dynamin 2 expressions and tumor progression in early cervical carcinoma (IB1-IIA). Dynamin 2 expression was evaluated at protein level in thirty seven paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed tissues including four normal cervix tissues and compared with pathologic risk factors for recurrence after surgery in thirty three patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.

Anionic templating in a new layered bismuth tellurium oxychloride, Bi3Te4O10Cl5.

A new layered bismuth tellurium oxychloride, Bi(3)Te(4)O(10)Cl(5) has been synthesized by a solid-state reaction under vacuum using Bi(2)O(3), TeO(2), and TeCl(4) as reagents. The structure of Bi(3)Te(4)O(10)Cl(5) has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Bi(3)Te(4)O(10)Cl(5) contains two different lone pair cations, Bi(3+) and Te(4+) that are in asymmetric coordination environments.

Inhibition of histone deacetylase activity down-regulates urokinase plasminogen activator and matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression in gastric cancer.

Histone acetylation and deacetylaion play important roles in chromatin remodeling and gene expression. An imbalance of these reactions leads to aberrant behavior of the cells in the cell cycle, which in turn contributes to carcinogenesis. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been shown to have anti-tumor effects in clinical trials.

Multicenter phase II trial of S-1, paclitaxel and cisplatin triplet combination chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Objective: The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combination regimen of S-1, paclitaxel plus cisplatin in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Methods: Patients with previously untreated metastatic or recurrent, measurable gastric cancer received intravenous paclitaxel 80 mg/m² plus cisplatin 30 mg/m² on days 1, 8 and S-1 35 mg/m² orally twice daily on days 1-14 based on a 3-week cycle.

Results: Forty-four patients were enrolled in the current study, among whom 38 were assessable for efficacy and all assessable for toxicity.

Comparison between evaporative light scattering detection and charged aerosol detection for the analysis of saikosaponins.

Saikosaponins are triterpene saponins derived from the roots of Bupleurum falcatum L. (Umbelliferae), which has been traditionally used to treat fever, inflammation, liver diseases, and nephritis. It is difficult to analyze saikosaponins using HPLC-UV due to the lack of chromophores.

Clinical features and prognostic relevance of ovarian involvement in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: A Consortium for Improving Survival of Lymphoma (CISL) report.

Fourteen patients had primary ovarian lymphoma, while eighteen patients had secondary ovarian involvement. There was no significant difference in survival rates between primary and secondary involvement with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common subtype. The 5-year overall survivals of primary and secondary involvement with DLBCL were 70.

Tunable, flexible antireflection layer of ZnO nanowires embedded in PDMS.

In this article, we report the fabrication of ordered hybrid structures composed of ZnO nanowires and a polymeric matrix with a polymer precursor infiltrating the nanowire arrays. The antireflective properties of the resulting ZnO nanowire-embedded polydimethylsiloxane composite (ZPC) were investigated at various ZnO nanowire lengths and ZPC bending angles. Interestingly, we found that whereas the antireflective properties showed a strong dependence on the length of the embedded ZnO nanowires in PDMS, the bending of ZPC has little effect on the antireflective properties.

Phase IV study evaluating efficacy of escalated dose of imatinib in chronic myeloid leukemia patients showing suboptimal response to standard dose imatinib.

The aim of this phase IV study was to (1) to define efficacy of escalating dose imatinib in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients showing suboptimal response to standard dose imatinib and (2) to find markers that predict the response to escalating doses of imatinib. CML patients in chronic phase (CP) who failed to achieve optimal response with 400 mg/day imatinib or patients in accelerated phase (AP) or blast crisis (BC) who failed to achieve complete hematologic response after 3 months of 400-600 mg/day imatinib were enrolled. CP patients received 600 mg/day, while AP/BC patients received 600-800 mg/day imatinib.